Israeli missile strikes against several targets near Syria’s capital Damascus killed at least nine pro-regime militia fighters early on Monday, a Britain-based war monitor said.“Nine Iran-backed militia fighters were killed” in Israeli strikes targeting arms depots, including missile stores, around Damascus, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.‘Pro-govt.’ forcesThe Observatory said all the fighters killed were non-Arab “pro-government” forces, but it said it could not determine if they were Afghan, Pakistani or Iranian. “Syrian air defences intercepted a sizable number of the missiles, but many hit their targets and caused material damage,” added the monitor, which relies on a network…
Author: Mike Harrison
Donald Trump took in the win at Mar-a-Lago, surrounded by friends and family. His lawyers celebrated with hugs and smiles. One joked, “We’re going to Disney World!”Now acquitted in his second Senate impeachment trial, Mr. Trump is preparing for the next phase of his post-presidency life. He is expected to re-emerge from a self-imposed hibernation at his club in Palm Beach, Florida, and is eyeing ways to reassert his power.But after being barred from Twitter, the former President lacks the social media bullhorn that fuelled his political rise. And he’s confronting a Republican Party deeply divided over the legacy of…
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to protect all religious and ethnic groups after clashes erupted between different communities in the southwest over the weekend.At least one person was killed after a dispute erupted on Friday in Ibadan. Mr. Buhari on Sunday “condemned such violence”. You have reached your limit for free articles this month. Subscription Benefits Include Today’s Paper Find mobile-friendly version of articles from the day’s newspaper in one easy-to-read list. Unlimited Access Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations. Personalised recommendations A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes. Faster…
Proposed intensive growth in islands contradicts National Marine Turtle Action Plan released by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Proposals for tourism and port development in the Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Islands have conservationists worried over the fate of some of the most important nesting populations of the Giant Leatherback turtle in this part of the Indian Ocean.The largest of the seven species of sea turtles on the planet and also the most long-ranging, Leatherbacks are found in all oceans except the Arctic and the Antarctic. Within the Indian Ocean, they nest only in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and…
Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday listed AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, widening access to the relatively inexpensive shot in the developing world.A WHO statement said it had approved the vaccine as produced by AstraZeneca-SKBio (Republic of Korea) and the Serum Instituteo f India.“We now have all the pieces in place for the rapid distribution of vaccines. But we still need to scale up production,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.The listing by…
She is the first African official and the first woman to hold the job. Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was appointed Monday to head the leading international trade body as it seeks to to resolve disagreements over how it decides cases involving billions in sales and thousands of jobs.Ms Okonjo-Iweala, 66, was appointed director-general of the World Trade Organization by representatives of the 164 member countries, according to a statement from the body.She said in a statement that her first priority would be quickly addressing the economic and health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and to “implement the policy responses we need…
Leaders of the ruling YSR Congress Party allegedly ploughed down a portion of the sweet lime orchards of rival candidates contesting for the post of Sarpanch in various villages of Pulivendula constituency, represented by the Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.The acts of vendetta, which saw light on Monday a couple of days before the polling date of Feb 17, were reportedly spread across the Pydipalem, Mallela, Duggannagaripalle, Pedda Juturu and Gurajala mandals. The victims found to their utter shock the recently-planted sweet lime trees uprooted in their fields. TDP MLC and Pulivendula constituency in-charge M. Ravindranath Reddy, also known…
A study by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay has shown why the novel coronavirus may survive for far lesser time on porous surfaces such as paper and clothes than on impermeable surfaces like glass and plastic. COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is transmitted through respiratory droplets. The virus-laden droplets also form fomite upon falling on a surface, which serves as a source for infection spread.In the study, published in the journal Physics of Fluids, the researchers analysed the drying of droplets on impermeable and porous surfaces. They found that a droplet remains liquid for a…
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Monday tested positive for COVID-19, a day after he fainted on a stage while addressing a municipal election rally in Vadodara. In a health bulletin, UN Mehta Hospital, where Mr. Rupani has been admitted, stated that his RT-PCR test came positive with mild symptoms. His other parameters are said to be normal. After he collapsed on Sunday evening, Mr. Rupani was given first aid at the venue, and then rushed to Ahmedabad in a chartered flight and was admitted to the UN Mehta Hospital in the Civil Hospital campus. Mr. Rupani’s work schedule has…
A video explainer on trans fatty acids or TFAs. Our body requires only two kinds of ‘healthy’ fats – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. They are a major source of energy. The kind that is harmful to our body is known as trans fatty acids or TFAs. Artificial trans fats, which are considered harmful, are created in an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils. This is done to make them more solid, increase their shelf life, and for use as an adulterant as they are cheap. A letter from the Editor Dear reader,We have been keeping you up-to-date with information on the…